Electronic tablets, such as the Apple IPad® and the Samsung Galaxy Tab® have become very popular in recent years. These devices have a wide variety of computation, display and communications capability. Typically during use they are held in one hand of the user while the user's other hand is employed to operate the device.
However, in certain situations it is more convenient to put the device down so the user has both hands free. For example if the tablet is displaying a food recipe while the user is cooking, it would be very inconvenient to try to hold the tablet while mixing ingredients according to the recipe. As a result, some tablet devices have stands to prop up the device so its screen can be viewed. In such a case the tablet is propped up on a table or kitchen counter. However, if the user is standing and moving about the kitchen, it may be hard to see the screen. Thus, there is a need for a device that would hold the tablet closer to the face of the user while the user is standing.
US Published Patent Application No. 2012/0168579 of Heersink discloses an L-shaped panel that fits below kitchen cabinets to support an electronic device, such as a tablet. It has slots in its vertical flange. A holder for an accessory has tabs that fit in the slots. Similarly, US Published Patent Application No. 2013/0063382 of Feldstein et al. discloses a support for a portable touch screen device with a complicated under-cabinet mounting bracket that allows a mounting plate to be fixed at different angles.
A tablet mounting system that includes a detachable tablet stand and a tablet mount is shown in US Published Patent Application No. 2013/0092811 of Funk et al. The tablet stand is configured to releasably connect to a tablet and to rest on a horizontal surface such that a plane defined by the tablet stand forms an angle with the horizontal surface. A Published Patent Application of Wetzel (US2013/0092811) has a cylindrical piece that is mounted to the underside of a cabinet, e.g., with a screw. An angular bracket is fastened to the cylinder with a screw and to the front edge of the cabinet. The end of the bracket can be coupled to the back of a tablet computer. Again, the cabinet connection is much more complicated than your design. Also, US Published Patent Application No. US2014/0001219 of Miller discloses a tablet style PC hanging mounts with a strap having a loop to wrap around a convenient structure. The strap has legs at its end that are separated. The legs each have hook portions that can engage and support a tablet-style PC computer, such as an IPad or other tablet device.
The company Belkin makes a kitchen cabinet mount for a tablet, which has two parts that act as a clamp to support the mount from the bottom shelf of a cabinet. It is flexible in that it can be moved from cabinet to cabinet without having to make new screw connections to the cabinets. A similar product is made by Upper Desk. This product has a clamp for engaging the bottom shelf of a cabinet. The clamp supports a mount for an IPad. As a result, the support, while more complicated than some, is easily moved.
The Original Kitchen IPad Rack has an L-shaped panel that fits below kitchen cabinets. The panel has slots in its vertical flange. A holder for an accessory has tabs that fit in the slots. This product seems to be like the one disclosed in US Published Patent Application No. 2012/0168579 of Heersink. The Universal Tablet Computer Under-Cabinet Mount is like the Wetzel publication with a cylinder extending from the bottom of a cabinet and an angular bracket connected to it. The Tablet Recipe Book Holder has a book mount that is attached to the underside of a cabinet by a hinge system attached to the cabinet.
While the known prior art includes numerous supports for electronic tablets that can support the tablet so it is closer to the face of the user than when it is resting on a desk or counter, e.g., by suspending it from the underside of a kitchen cabinet, they are typically difficult to install and or to move to a new location. Thus, it would be advantageous if a tablet support were provided that was easy to install and to move to a new location.